Clinical neuroscience of alcoholism: integrating neuroscience and clinical trials

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT This application for a Mid-Career Investigator Award (K24) will provide Dr. Ray with the opportunity to continue her career development, mentorship of clinical investigators, and research in medications development for alcoholism. Consistent with the goal of supporting Dr. Ray’s career trajectory in AUD treatment development, the research aims are comprised of projects that will allow her to extend the impact of her research program in the areas of (a) neuroscience, (b) clinical trials, and (c) advanced quantitative methods. The ultimate research goal of the proposal is to integrate basic neuroscience and clinical trials methods to medications development for AUD. The mentoring plan will focus on continued training of undergraduate students, graduate students in clinical psychology, psychiatric residents, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty to conduct patient-oriented alcohol research. Dr. Ray will provide training in areas of clinical research methods, data analysis, data interpretation, manuscript preparation, grantsmanship, research ethics, and professional development. Mentoring occurs through Dr. Ray’s active research laboratory, which includes weekly individual and group meetings with trainees. Dr. Ray is active in providing lectures and seminars through multiple training programs at UCLA. In particular, Dr. Ray is committed to mentoring students from underrepresented backgrounds and as a Latina scientist, is sensitive to the issues of diversity in science. Through active participation in multiple programs aimed at diversifying the pool of alcohol scientists, Dr. Ray will broaden her impact in this arena. The training plan consists of coursework and training experiences in areas that are important to her career development as an investigator and mentor, particularly in the topics of basic neuroscience, clinical trials, and advanced quantitative methods. An outstanding group of collaborators has agreed to support Dr. Ray in her training goals. These areas of training and professional development have been selected in synergy with the research aims and ongoing funded-projects in Dr. Ray’s laboratory with the overarching goal of broadening the impact of her research program as well as that of her mentees. In summary, the support of the Mid-Career Investigator Award (K24) will allow Dr. Ray to devote her effort to patient-oriented alcohol research and research mentoring. She will also develop her own skill set through proposed training in basic neuroscience of AUD, clinical trials, and advanced quantitative methods while continuing to actively disseminate research findings along with her mentees through scientific presentations and publications. Through her mentoring, Dr. Ray is committed to training the new generation of patient-oriented alcohol researchers and will prioritize efforts to diversify the pool of junior scientists in the field of alcohol research.